To My Friends Who Are Democrats…

(See former Hillary Clinton aide postscript at end.)
Pitching politics has been counter-intuitive for me for most of my lifetime.

I have never belonged to one political party, and still refuse to join one.
I refuse to be a groupie following one charismatic individual, and I do not relinquish my free will to control by any organization or group.
Admittedly, I have been quite conservative most of my life; although there have been exceptions to that, too, particularly during my college days.

A Realistic View

My view of politics is a realistic one; nothing’s black, nothing’s white. Nobody is 100% right, nobody is 100% wrong. I like to enquire, to think, and to adopt the best of what everyone has to offer. That includes ideas from more than one political party.

The United States seems limited to two major parties.  Not a bad system, from the viewpoint of avoiding governance by a minority, smaller than 51%.  Since one party is not likely to encompass all the ideas of a particular individual, we have to weigh the pros and cons offered by the two major parties at each election, and choose the party that satisfies our most important considerations at that historical time.

But Aren’t You a Republican?

Anybody reading this blog must have noticed that my writing seems to be very pro-Republican in 2012.  But those who read carefully will notice that I rarely use the word Republican. I rarely use the name Romney.  Instead, I use the word conservative.

What About Most Americans?

Few Americans are extremists.
Few people are radically conservative or radically liberal.
Most of us are in the middle.
Even those who are quite conservative, like me, believe in the right of others to reject my beliefs. Religious Christians respect the gift of Free Will given to us by God, and we respect the freedom guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States.
Few liberals are callous, insensitive to the bankrupting of America, or to the extermination of 54 million unborn American citizens by abortion, a problem particularly affecting black communities.
Few conservatives are callous, insensitive to the plight of the poor, or to the horrors of war.

Most Americans appreciate that good people can view things from different perspectives, and those who disagree with us probably have noble motivations.  Even if we believe that our opponents have their facts mistaken, we can admire them for their dedication to justice and to fairness, which we share.

Most Americans are independent in spirit, and have voted for candidates from both political parties over the years.
For many years, the differences between Democrats and Republicans were not overwhelmingly large; both supported Judeo-Christian principles, and both supported the rule of law as outlined in the Constitution of the United States.  Did you know that as recently as 1999, Harry Reid opposed abortion?  So did Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy.

But 2012 is different.

What’s Different in 2012?

Barack Obama is the difference in 2012.
Barack Obama, unlike previous Presidents, and unlike most Americans and most liberals, has shown himself to be a rigid, inflexible idealist.

The unification, transparency, and justice that he promised, and on the basis of which he was elected, have been replaced by a dictatorial, extreme and unaccountable set of policies, executed by czars, which have pushed America into gridlock.
His policies and mandates do not follow the rule of law.

President Obama’s ideals don’t represent those of most liberals or most Americans, yet he tries to mandate compliance with his ideals.  He issues mandates without approval of the House, Senate, or Supreme Court.  When the legislature refuses to pass what President Obama wants, he bypasses them with a mandate. Then he promises Vladimir Putin that he will have “more flexibility” after this election.

How Has Barack Obama Reneged On His Promises and Violated the Rights of Americans?

President Obama has reneged on a number of the duties to which he was sworn at his inauguration, and on a number of campaign promises he made in 2008.

Barack Obama has imposed his will on our country in many areas:

• Morality and Freedom of Conscience
• Economy
• Prospects for Students
• Foreign Policy
• Immigration

Morality and Freedom of Conscience

Barack Obama has ignored the opposition of 2/3 of America on federal funding of abortion, and has even gone beyond federal funding of abortion, forcing Catholics to pay for the contraceptives and abortifacients of others.  He has dismissed the concerns of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and has ignored lawsuits filed by 43 Catholic organizations.  The courts are now starting to strike down this unconstitutional mandate.

Barack Obama’s radical and unfettered promotion of unrestricted abortion free of charge has elicited the protest of numerous moral leaders, including Catholic Bishops, the 94 year old Billy Graham, Jews, Baptists, and numerous other Christian churches.

Such a radical promotion of abortion and contraception no only renders our society inhuman from the point of view of morality, but also has economic consequences, since shrinking and aging populations will face rapidly mounting debts.

Abortion is already a much, much bigger deal than most think. Under Barack Obama, abortion will be taken to unprecedented levels.
Against the wishes of 2/3 of America.

Economy

Barack Obama has not passed a single budget in four years, and submits budgets to the legislature so unrealistic, that they get ZERO Democrat votes in the Senate, which is held by Democrats.
Sometimes it appears that the President doesn’t understand the math.
Recently, he admitted on national television that he struggles with 7th grade math.  This cannot be good.

Barack Obama has raised the national debt by 50% in just 4 years with his spending, creating a per capita national debt of over $50,00 for each of us, when it was just $33,000 four years ago. Since only half of us pay any federal income tax, that means a per capita debt of about $100,000 for each person who pays federal tax, and a per household debt of over $250,000 in the United States today.  Since the average household income in the United States is $50,000, that’s already quite a debt, a debt of five years income for each of us.  If Barack Obama is reelected, the national debt is projected to go up an additional 47% over 10 years, bringing the household share of the national debt to over $375,00.  That will be a debt of seven and a half years income for each of us ten years from now.  If you think you have paid off your mortgage by then, you can start a new mortgage on a $375,000 house.  That’s for the average family earning $50,000 per year.  If your income is higher, your extra debt will be higher.

Scrooge McDuck

Quite some plan Barack Obama has for us, considering that our per capita national debt is  already worse than Greece’s today, at the outset, right now.

Barack Obama’s plan to tax the rich is so naive that it betrays the fact that he struggles with 7th grade math.  There are not enough rich people in America to get appreciable income from increasing their taxation, and his recent proposal would require DOUBLING the taxes of all people earning $250,000 per year; a move that would wipe out the ability of small businesses to hire workers or to expand.  The President seems to be reading too many comic books.

(Dismal) Prospects for Students

Already, 53% of recent college grads are jobless or underemployed. Considering the fact that the average graduate faces $27,000 in loan repayment, and the fact that the average college grad starting salary is $44,000, this does not spell good news for college grads or their families.  College students are demoralized, they do not want to live in their parents’ basements, and the parents do not need to face supporting unemployed adults instead of saving for retirement.

The jobs these students would have been getting in the absence of Obama’s naive policies are destroyed by ObamaCare costs for employers and Obama’s intention to double taxation on small business owners, who will not hire and expand.

Barack Obama insults the intelligence of these young people by offfering them free abortions and free birth control pills (value $500 and $9/monthly) in exchange for their votes, in return for a future of unemployment, debt and low pay.  With poor people, he tries to buy their votes with free “Obama-phones.” 

Foreign Policy

In the light of recent events in Benghazi, the most positive possible interpretation of Barack Obama’s negligent actions in failing to protect our Embassy staff would be that he did not provide security for the Benghazi because he did not expect anyone in Libya to touch Americans, perhaps because we are such nice people.  Can anyone be that naive?

Barack Obama acted as though we are in Libya handing out candies to trick-or-treaters, and he did not expect them to come out wielding knives, or heavy weapons such as the ones which were used against the Benghazi embassy – automatic weapons, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.  When caught criminally unprepared, coverup followed.

An even less flattering explanation of Barack Obama’s actions would include Obama sacrificing our global standing intentionally.  Obama has been accused of an anti-colonialist mentality, which considers that the US needs to be downsized globally in it’s lifestyle, it’s power and it’s wealth.  The movie 2016:Obama’s America documents these claims by Dinesh D’Souza, a University President who bases most of his claims on Obama’s autobiography, Dreams of My Father, as well as research into Obama’s life. 2016: Obama’s America is showing in theaters now, has grossed more than $33.45 million in the United States.  The movie is now the second biggest political documentary in film history.  Yet this record-setting film is virtually being ignored by the mainstream media, which protects Obama from criticism routinely and shamelessly.

Another less flattering explanation of Barack Obama’s actions would include accusing him of intentionally reducing US Power because of the secret Marxist ideology taught to him by Marshall Davis, a Communist Party USA propagandist who is mentioned in Obama’s autobiography .  This theory is based on the documented fact that Obama’s mother posed for pornographic photos taken by Marshall Davis, who, it is suggested, could also be Barack Obama’s father.  These suggestions are explored by the movie Dreams from my REAL Father, which can be watched instantly on Netflix.  If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch it this weekend, before you vote.

Finally, a third movie, The Hope and the Change, is available to watch for free on Hulu at http://www.hulu.com/watch/409925.   The Hope and the Change is a documentary about independent and Reagan Democrat voters who cast their ballots for Obama in 2008 and will not do so in 2012.  These voters feel betrayed by Obama’s false promises of hope and lofty rhetoric.

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Immigration

Barack Obama has refused to enforce immigration laws at the US border with Mexico, and has sued Arizona when Arizona tried to enforce laws themselves. In this, and other areas, Obama has failed to defend the Constitution of the United States and to enforce its laws.
He has demonstrated a naivete in economics and in foreign policy that has placed our nation  in tremendous danger.

The Point

So the point is: Barack Obama is not your normal Democrat.
Barack Obama does not respect the voice of the American People, 2/3 of whom oppose ObamaCare, 2/3 of whom oppose federal funding of abortion, and 2/3 of whom oppose Obama’s recent violations of the religious liberty of Catholics.
Barack Obama does not respect the division of governmental power between Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.
Barack Obama does not respect his own promises of 2008.
Barack Obama is not who he told us he was.
Barack Obama does not plan to work with all Americans, he just plans to continue pushing his extreme agenda, with which even Democrats disagree.

What To Do

Take Clint Eastwood’s advice; let Barack Obama go.
Mitt Romney’s campaign has been based on love of America, and on pragmatism and cooperation which can end the gridlock. He’s demonstrated his ability to work across the aisle as Governor of Massachusetts.
The election of Mitt Romney would give the Democratic party, which used to represent more moderate views, an opportunity to regroup and respond to the will of the American people.

PostScript: A former Hillary Clinton aide Gigi George is backing Romney because:

“For most of my life, I’ve been an active Democrat. I am proud to have worked for President Bill Clinton and then-Senator Hillary Clinton, and, during that time, I saw firsthand what can be accomplished by strong, bipartisan leadership. I know what it means to work across the aisle on issues that are important to the American people. And that’s why I am supporting Mitt Romney. Governor Romney has a plan to restore the prosperity this country deserves and expects. He will work with people of good will no matter what their party, and he will pursue the policies that are in the best interest of our country, no matter who proposes them. That’s what President Obama promised to do four years ago. But like so many of his promises, bipartisan cooperation is just another one he has broken. We can’t have four more years of failed policies and two parties that can’t work together. We need the change Mitt Romney is offering.”

More Postscipts:

• The liberal Wisconsin State Journal (renamed Progressive by me last month), has endorsed Mitt Romney.

• 21 Liberal newspapers have switched to Romney.

• Ohio, Friday: Romney Draws 30,000, Obama Draws 2,800

• Wisconsin Women overflow Romney Rally

• My Catholic pastor in today’s Cathedral Parish Church bulletin:
  I certainly intend to exercise my right to vote on Tuesday – in fact, I would crawl the four blocks to my polling place over broken glass in order to vote this year. And I trust that you will too – vote, that is.
  Personally, I am hopeful about the current elections. I am optimistic that we will have a good number of newly elected leaders who will be more sensitive to our moral concerns and our freedom of religion. And, God willing, sufficiently prudent decisions will be made so that we can avert the national collapse that appears (at least to me) to loom on the horizon…  (see above link to finish reading)
  
  

  500 Admirals and Generals Endorse Mitt Romney

• Obama has just lost the endorsement of the nation’s first elected black Governor.

• 500 Admirals and Generals endorsed Romney today.
  .
• Gallup: Romney 49% – Obama 48%
• Rasmussen: Romney 49% – Obama 48%

Reaching Out to God

or

Explaining Adoration

Now, in the midst of this Frankenstorm hammering our nation, and on the eve of the most important election of our lifetime next week, is a good time for discussing reaching out to God, our Creator and our Father.

Americans and Prayer

Most Americans believe in God and pray regularly (82%) .
82% of Americans say that God answers their prayers.
But how many realize the extent of the power they hold in their hands?
And how many realize that there are some particularly powerful ways to pray?

We can get quite invested in the best, most effective ways to provide disaster relief for hurricanes, or campaign help for our favorite candidates, as well as getting pretty invested in the details of our personal wealth management, yet we often forget to investigate what is available to us in the realm of tapping into the power of God.  And if Hurricane Sandy is anything to go by, that power is more than anything we ourselves could ever hope to muster by human effort.

Some abandon the idea of prayer, claiming that their prayers have not been answered in the past. The fact that God has not always given you what you want does not mean that He is not there, or that you cannot tap into His power if you approach Him the right way.  Presumably your parents did not always give you what you wanted, particularly if you did not approach them in the right way, and you have not concluded that your parents do not exist.

How Does One Approach God?

Children learn early to get what they want by approaching those who have power over their lives with any number of techniques; demanding, cajoling, begging, charming, repeating, persuading, throwing tantrums, hugging and kissing, and innumerable other ways.  Now I’m not suggesting that we treat God in a calculating way or that we try to outsmart Him, but we really should acknowledge that some approaches might be more or less endearing, as we approach God for the things we want.

A humble and loving plea might be more effective than an angry demand.  An understanding that we don’t always get what we want is also essential.  Asking nicely, the way we were taught (“Our Father, Who art in heaven”… and “Do this in memory of Me”) is another important element.  Finally, the extent to which we have been behaving or mis-behaving might influence the outcome of our request.  Acting like we know better than God knows and setting the conditions, are about as likely to work on God, as they are to work on parents.

The point here is to realize that tapping into the power of God should include love, cooperation and effort; at least as much love, cooperation and effort as we expend on our sweetheart/parents/siblings, friends, favorite Rock star, Hollywood figure or politician, when we approach them.
Good luck getting something from your family if you have been violating their ethics, neglecting them, and perhaps even kicking them around for years.

How Catholics Bring Out the Big Guns When It Comes to Prayer

This is why Catholics revere the tradition that has been handed down to us, and do not shy away from giving God the time, effort and “bling” that we give to humans whom we respect or love; to our sweethearts, to our presidents and to our monarchs.

For centuries, Catholics have especially valued, and have documented the success and the power of two types of prayer; the Rosary, and Adoration.

But few non-Catholics, and even few Catholics, have much in-depth understanding of these prayers.  And lack of understanding leads to lack of utilization.  Sometimes, total miscomprehension even leads to ridicule of these prayers.  Check the Wisconsin State Journal discussion forums for a good dose of ridicule of Catholic tradition whenever Catholicism comes up.

Adoration

Today, I went to Adoration.  That’s what I do for an hour every week.  That’s what over 300 Madison Catholics do every week.  In fact, Madison’s Cathedral Parish has Perpetual Adoration, which goes on 24/7, with people taking shifts, so that prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in Madison is continual and uninterrupted, day and night.  This has now been going on for over 6 years, since Feb 12, 2006.

Why on earth do Catholics do Adoration, and what does it accomplish?

Some Fundamental Facts

If you acknowledge that God exists, by definition He is more powerful than anything we can imagine, including Hurricane Sandy and Barack Obama.
He can do anything He wants, including slowing down a hurricane before it hits land.

If you acknowledge that Christ was the Son of God, Christ demonstrates clearly two things:
God loves us.
God interacts with us.
He just might have wanted to leave us something of Himself, with which humanity can interact for millennia.

Last Supper from Holy Redeemer Church altar,
Madison, WI

If you acknowledge the Bible, then Christ chose to leave us a great deal more than just a holy book compiled 300 years after Christ’s presence on earth.  He left us His Real Presence in Holy Communion.
This is spelled out in no uncertain terms in John 6:50-71, where Christ says:

“unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”

When Jesus’ followers balked at this literal description of the Eucharist, Jesus persisted, to the point where many of His disciples abandoned following Him.  Yet Jesus did not call them back or retract what He had said. There was no question of His intent regarding the presence of His Body and His Blood in Communion.  This teaching was so important that Christ did not change it to keep disciples from leaving.

Why Would God Choose to Stay On As Communion?

Without a long theological discussion, is not God who rules the universe (and Hurricane Sandy) capable of changing anything He wants into anything He wants?
Who are we to question His choice to leave us His Real Presence in the form of Communion, His Body and Blood, the Bread of Life?
Would we prefer He left us nothing at all?

Or just a Holy Bible compiled 300 years after His Ascension?
Would we prefer there was no Ascension and He stayed on forever, attending White House dinners and organizing peace talks (and getting crucified over and over again)?
Would we prefer He left us little replicas of Himself, like little live Barbie dolls?
Would these have been any easier to believe?
Those who don’t want to follow Christ’s teachings will disbelieve anything Christ might have arranged for us.

But being realistic, it was not our choice. It was God’s.
My suggestions are obviously silly.
And, if you analyze other possibilities, God’s was the wisest one.
Leave them your Real Presence, which the poorest of the poor can access and which can be replenished throughout history.
Ingredients: bread and wine.
Consecration: by a priest, ordained in unbroken succession from the Apostles themselves.

So What Do We Do With the Real Presence of God?

Well, aside from all the usual things that Catholics do with the Real Presence of God, like attending the miracle transubstantiation every Sunday at Mass, and “eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood” as we were commanded in John 6, we also treat the Real Body and Blood of Christ like the real person Christ which it is.

We preserve it in fancy tabernacles in our Churches, where people can go pray when they feel the need to be closer to God.
We take it to feed to the sick and dying, who cannot come to Mass to receive Communion.
We also place it in beautiful blingy golden vessel called a monstrance, for adoration and for prayer.  Seeing the Body of Christ while you pray to Him is better than doing it remotely from some alternate location.  This is called Adoration.

The effort it takes to go sit with Christ for an hour in person gives us an opportunity to demonstrate a personal love and care for Christ, in response to His plea during His Passion,

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? – Matthew 26:40,

when Christ found his disciples sleeping during the Agony in the Garden.
Sitting with Christ one hour is the least we can do in thanksgiving for what Christ did for us.
We have the opportunity to watch with Christ at His Passion.  Christ is outside of time.

Adoration

So Adoration is an opportunity to face Christ face-to-face.
To visit Him.
To adore Him.
To spend time quietly with God.
To make special requests from Him.
To thank Him.
To say anything you want to say to Him.
To simply sit silently in the Presence of God.

To treat God more personally and with more love than just abrupt telepathic thought bytes sent mentally from some harried location.
Adoration is the opportunity to visit Christ in person, the way you would visit anyone whom you love and whom you miss.

What Do We Get From Adoration?

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Well, we should not get in the habit of viewing God only as what we can get from Him; as we hopefully don’t do to sweethearts, parents, and siblings.
But we do actually get lots of benefits from Adoration.
As a Diocese, Seminarians are one of the biggest benefits we get from Adoration.  The Dioceses of Madison has gone from having about 4 seminarians, to having over 30 seminarians, during the time that Perpetual Adoration has been going on in Madison.  It is well known among Catholics that wherever Perpetual Adoration is found, Catholicism flourishes and priestly vocations abound.  Very true at Madison’s Cathedral Parish, which has no shortage of members, children, seminarians, or budget.  The parish is thriving and is unbelievably blessed.

The benefits coming from Adoration are not just parish-wide or Diocese-wide.  Personal requests and pleas to God can also be brought to Adoration, with the confidence that God will provide a solution.

The solution is not always magical, although it can be.  At very least, God provides understanding, patience and peace of mind to all who bring their troubles to Adoration.
In six years, I have never been disappointed when bringing a problem to Adoration.  I leave with peace of mind, and often in less than a day, a solution to my problem presents itself.

Needless to say, I’ve been bringing the Nov 6^th election to God in recent weeks when I go to Adoration.  I’m not the only one; I even know of some Madison Catholics who, instead of watching the Presidential debates on TV, sat in prayer at Adoration during the debates.  Today, I brought Hurricane Sandy and it’s victims to prayer at Adoration.

So that brings us back to the first point: Reaching Out to God.
This week all Americans should join the prayer effort, putting more time, more thought and more sincerity into our prayers this week.  Adoration is a great way to do this.

Who Can Go to Adoration?

Anybody can go to Adoration.  You don’t have to be Catholic.  All are welcome, as long as they maintain a respectful and quiet demeanor.  You can run in for a couple minutes, or you can stay for an hour.  You can go to Madison’s Perpetual Adoration chapel, (info on the Cathedral Parish website), or you can go into any Catholic Church and kneel or sit in front of the closed tabernacle.  The Tabernacle always contains the Eucharist, and the Presence of Christ is indicated by a small lamp near the Tabernacle.  Anybody can go there to pray.

Tabernacle at Holy Redeemer Church,
Madison, Wi

Remember to Use the Ultimate Weapon, Prayer, this Week.
Particularly Adoration.
It’s Crucial.